Ship&#39;s pilot ladder



April 1, 1930. A. MYERSTUE 1,753,060

SHIPS PILOT LADDER Filed May 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l EEZEEE INVENTOR WITNESSE d ew 'flgyersiuen BY W a! 65-62mm ATTORN EY pr 1 A. MYERSTUEN 1,753,060

SHIP S PILOT LADDER Filed May 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR gydl'ew M emfiuen ATTORNEY m mum Patented Apr. 1, 1930 unirsn STATES P T- N 5 M i-cE? ANDREW MYERSTUEN, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON I snrrs PILo'r harms i 1 Application filed May a, 1928. Serial 110,276,174.

10 pleted ladder.

Another object of this invention is a foldable, portable ships ladder having but few, readily interchangeable parts, of durable material and durable in construction.

Another object of this invention is a new article of manufacture comprising a readily clamped step or tread for a portable ships ladder.

In the drawings comprising two sheets, numbered Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a step or tread e1nbodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the step or tread taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a fragment of a ladder constructed in accordance with the embodiment of the invention in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. l is a plan view of a modification of the O invention; and

Fig. 5 is a partial rear view of the modified form illustrated by Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a side view of the device of Fig. 5 viewed from the left.

Like characters of reference represent cor responding parts throughout the several figures.

The ships pilot ladder herein set forth consists essentially of a pair of flexible cables 9- of any desired length. The cables 9 may be made of any preferred material either metallic or non-metallic, but in the form at present preferred these cables will consist of twisted wire strands composing flexible metallic cables.

Secured to the said cables at suitable intervals are a plurality of steps or treads 6 preferably of light metallic construction. These treads are of any preferred length and width but an inside'dimension measured between the inner faces of the elements 7, of approxi- I mately fourteen and one half inches affords a satisfactoryclearance; The step 6 is roughenedupon its upper side to constitute the tread surface and is hollowed or channelled upon its under side asis indicated by the line 12 in Fig. 2, to eliminate unnecessary strength and durability.

weight without sacrificing To secure the tread 6 to the'cables 99 it is provided adjacent its outer ends with bracket members 7 positioned substantially at right angles tothe plane of the tread 6.

Thebracket members 7 are provided with a V-shaped recess adapted to receive the ca- 'ble '9. Each bracket is also-provided with holes adapted to receive the nut and bolt 8.

treads 6 are merely placed backto backwith the cables 9 positioned within the V-shaped channels 10; the'bolts" 8 are then'inserted "cables 9 at suitable intervals (e. g. approximately twelve inches) apart the-result will be a ladder of the desired length appearing in accordance with. the construction shown in Fig. 3. When constructed in this-manner employing double treads in" accordance with the disclosures-of Figs. 1 and 2, the ladder is in effect reversibleand maybe mounted from either side. i

In the modification disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5 and 6 one of the treads 6 and its associated brackets 7 is omitted from each step and a clamping member 13 is substituted for the bracket member 7 thus omitted. This clamping member 13 is likewise provided with a V-shaped recess as indicated at 14, Fig. 4, so that when a pair of clamping members 13 are used in conjunction with the brackets 77 of a typical tread 6 the latter may be secured to the cables 99 by means of a plurality of nuts and bolts 8. A plurality of treads 6 when thus assembled on the cables 9-9 will constitute a portable ladder the length whereof will depend upon the length of the cables employed.

Each of the clamping members 13 is recessed upon the outside as indicated at 11 in Fig. 5 to furnish a finger grip for the individual who is mounting the ladder.

Each bracket 13 is preferably provided with a spur-shaped projection 15 constituting means for spacing each clamping member 13 away from the ships side. This construction has several advantages among others, it affords sufficient clearance to permit the fingers to be inserted in the grip 11,

it acts as a fulcrum for the step, to permit the latter to tilt slightly towards the ships side under the weight of the climber, so that in his progress up the ships side the climbers center of gravity is toward the ship rather than away from it.

The V-shaped channels may if preferred be roughened as indicated at 10 and 14: in Fig. 4, in order to increase the gripping action of the bracket and clamps and the cables 9.

It thus appears that the ships ladder of the-present invention consists of but few and simple parts, which are interchangeable, and

which may be readily assembled without requiring the employment of skilled labor in the operation. It also appears that a new part may be readily substituted for a defectiye part and that this substitutionv may be effected without interfering with other parts which are in good condition.

WVhat is claimed is:

As a new article of manufacture astep for a ladder, said step being channelled upon its under side and having its upper surface roughened to constitute a tread, angular bracket members integral with said step, each bracket member being provided with a groove adapted to receive one of the supporting side members of the ladder and with means coacting with the groove tolock the side members against movement with respect to the bracket.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 4th day of May, A. D. 1928. 7

ANDREW MYERSTUEN. 

